초록 ▼

A lift augmenting device to provide a vertical take-off capability in aircraft which includes a pair of rotor assemblies with independently individually pivoted rotor vanes so that the attitude of the vanes can be changed at different positions along the circumferential rotational path of the vanes

A lift augmenting device to provide a vertical take-off capability in aircraft which includes a pair of rotor assemblies with independently individually pivoted rotor vanes so that the attitude of the vanes can be changed at different positions along the circumferential rotational path of the vanes as they rotate with the rotor assemblies to pump air therethrough and selectively generate lift on the aircraft.

대표청구항 ▼

A lift augmenting device for an aircraft having a longitudinally flight axis along which the aircraft flies and a pilot cockpit and defining a pair of air intake ducts therein having forwardly facing air intakes thereto on opposite sides of the aircraft flight axis, said lift augmenting device compr

A lift augmenting device for an aircraft having a longitudinally flight axis along which the aircraft flies and a pilot cockpit and defining a pair of air intake ducts therein having forwardly facing air intakes thereto on opposite sides of the aircraft flight axis, said lift augmenting device comprising: a pair of rotor assemblies positioned on opposite sides of the aircraft flight axis and rotatable about a common horizontal rotor axis generally normal to the aircraft flight axis, both of said rotor assemblies communicating with the air above and below the aircraft, one of said rotor assemblies operatively communicating with each of said air intake ducts for pumping air from within said intake duct through said rotor assembly to below the aircraft, each of said rotor assemblies including: a plurality of rotor vanes circumferentially spaced about and rotatable with said rotor assembly, each of said rotor vanes individually pivoted about an individual vane pivot axis generally parallel to said rotor axis; closure means for selectively closing each of said air intakes to said air intake ducts; louver means for selectively connecting each of said air intake ducts to the air above the aircraft; and vane control means for selectively controlling said rotor vanes on both of said rotor assemblies as said rotor vanes rotate with said rotor assemblies about said rotor axis to selectively change the lift imparted to the aircraft by said rotor assemblies; said vane control means including: a pair of positioning drive mechanisms, one of said positioning drive mechanisms operatively associated with said rotor vanes of each of said rotor assemblies and including an inner race member rotatably fixed with respect to said common rotor axis and diametrically movable with respect to said common rotor axis along a positioning path generally normal to said rotor axis and the aircraft flight axis, an outer positioning ring rotatably mounted on said inner race member for rotation about said inner race member with said rotor assembly associated therewith, and a plurality of positioning links connecting said outer positioning ring individually with each of said rotor vanes on said rotor assembly so that shiting said inner race member along its positioning path causes said rotor vanes in communication with the air above the aircraft to pivot individually about their respective individual vane pivot axes in one pivotal direction while simultaneously causing said rotor vanes in communication with the air below the aircraft to pivot about their individual pivot axes in the opposite pivotal direction to selectively change the amount of air pumped from about the aircraft to below the aircraft and thereby change the lift imparted to the aircraft by said rotor means; and a common drive mechanism controller operatively connecting said inner race members to selectively position said inner race members along their respective said positioning paths, said drive mechanism including first vane attitude control means selectively operated from the pilot cockpit for simultaneously moving both of said inner race members along said positioning paths in the same direction and second vane attitude control means selectively operated from the pilot cockpit for simultaneously moving said inner race members along their respective said positioning paths in opposite directions, said second vane attitude control means moving said inner race members independently of said first attitude control means.